Prince Charles Cinema plans second venue in East London

The Prince Charles Cinema (PCC), a renowned independent cinema in London famous for its cult film screenings and celebrity patrons like Quentin Tarantino and Paul Thomas Anderson, is planning to expand by opening a second venue in east London. Despite ongoing legal disputes with its current landlord over its Leicester Square location, the PCC management has submitted a bid to take over the recently closed Stratford Picturehouse, aiming to revitalize the space and potentially add more venues in the future. The Stratford area, benefiting from regeneration and a growing population including many students, is seen as an ideal hub for the cinema's expansion, complementing other cultural institutions nearby. PCC's head of programming, Paul Vickery, emphasized that the new venue is not a relocation but an addition to the existing Leicester Square site, which remains operational. This move follows the cinema’s previous consideration of other historic venues like Edinburgh's Filmhouse, reflecting its ambition to grow while maintaining its unique cult cinema identity. The expansion aligns with similar initiatives by other London indie cinemas seeking to broaden their reach.